Family Room Vignette

Today is Tabletop Tuesday hosted by Marty at A Stroll Through Life. I am always amazed at all the entries each week. It always gets the creative juices flowing.

Today I am sharing a vignette in my family room which is our most used room in our home. This little mahogany Henkle-Harris table holds some of my favorite books, it's a great place to place violets since there is so much natural light coming through and below some cherished photos sent to me by a very dear friend.



The chairs are covered in a Silk plaid. The colors in these chairs are the colors I have used throughout my house, cherry red, lime green and mustard. The pillows have little bees on them and I have a particular fondness for bees and use prints with bees on them throughout my house as well. The Plantation shutters were put in about two years ago and I love them especially when the afternoon sun is shining through.



It's a great place for African Violets since it is flooded with bright light.







I like to keep my most favorite decorating books handy which are all of Charles Faudree's books on decorating in the French Country style. Here I have stacked them to give some heighth to the violet sitting on top. The doily with the rose in the center was crocheted by my Grand Mother many years ago. I also like to use silver birds throughout my house and am particularly fond of these little silver birds. They have a whimsical look about them.


Underneath are another of my favorite decoratoring books by Mary Carol Garrity.



Sitting on top of Mary Carol's books are some treasured photographs and notes from a very dear friend. She has been to several of Mary Carol's Open Houses in Atchison, Kansas at Christmas and during the Spring in Mary Carol's gorgeous home. My friend always took photos and would send them to me. It made me feel as though I had been there too. I thought at one time I would be able to join her on one of Mary Carol's Open House's but unfortunately I was unable to make the trip. Hopefully someday. Never the less, these photographs and notes sent to me by my friend are a real treasure to me and I cherish them as I do her friendship.



This is my tabletop that I am sharing this week. I think I can honestly say that each and every tabletop in my home speaks to me in some way. Please take a look at other participants of Tabletop Tuesday. You won't be disappointed.

Spring Garden Mosaics

Happy Monday to everyone. Today I am sharing some of my early Spring photos in Mosaics. I live in North Florida and Spring came early in our area as compared to most of the country. It is Mosaic Monday and I haven't participated in this party hosted by Mary at Little Red House in quite a long time.



This is a view in the larger photo of my patio and what I see when I enjoy time on my patio. I begin most every morning here with my coffee and often end the evening with a cocktail or iced tea. As long as we have cool mornings and breezy evenings this is where I am found. In between most days are spent in the garden.



Looking back at the house from the garden.




We have had a beautiful Spring this year due to a colder winter and we are still enjoying those cool mornings and late afternoons.







Please join Mary at Little Red House to enjoy other Mosaic participants and have a Happy Monday.

Spaghetti a La Bruzzi

A very sweet young friend inadvertently reminded me of this dish that I have often prepared. We have a favorite Italian restaurant in our neck of the woods that does a house dish called Spaghetti a La Bruzzi. It is a wonderful dish of linguine, red sauce, sauteed mushrooms, mixed together and topped with mozzarella cheese and then baked in the oven.

This is my version and my family loves it. The grand kidlets can't eat enough of it so it very often appears on my menu when they come to visit. It is a good comfort meal and since the grand kidlets dearly love Italian foods they are a year round pleaser.

Carolyn's Spaghetti a La Bruzzi

The sauce will make enough for two 9X13 inch pans. I always freeze the remaining sauce for another day.

2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 pounds ground round
1 large onion or 2 small onions, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
2 28-ounce cans Whole Peeled Italian Tomato's
1 28-ounce can Italian Tomato Puree
1 12-ounce can Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon oregano, dried
1 tablespoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 Bay Leaf
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 pound Portobello Mushrooms,sliced
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
a little olive oil

1 pound Linguine

1/2 pound good mozzarella, grated

In a 5 quart heavy pot on medium heat brown ground round and onions in olive oil until meat is brown and onions are tender. Add garlic and saute for about two minutes. Add tomato puree and liquid from the whole peeled tomato's. Lower the heat to simmer.

In a blender puree the whole tomato's one can at a time and then add to beef mixture. Next add the oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf, sugar and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and simmer for about two hours on a very low heat.

In the meantime, saute the Portobello Mushrooms in two tablespoons of butter with a little added olive oil.

Using a 5 quart pot,season the pasta water with salt (I use a French Herbed Sea Salt) and a little olive oil. Cook the pound of Linguine until al dente and drain completely in a colander. Do not run water over the pasta.

In a very large bowl mix all of the above ingredients, only 1/2 of the meat sauce, mushrooms, and pound of Linguine. Mix well.

Place in a 9X13 inch dish. Top with grated mozzarella cheese and bake at 350* until the cheese is browned.

Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

I use a 5-quart Le Crueset cast iron pot.





This sauce will make enough for two 9X13 inch pans of Baked Spaghetti but if you only want one pan then freeze the rest of the sauce for another time. It freezes beautifully.




The cheese browns nicely and everything is cooked so it only takes 30 minutes to bake it.





It is a delicious comforting dinner and children love it. Served with crusty bread, it is the perfect paring.



Note: sometimes I add a little Chianti to the sauce if I am not serving it to the grand kidlets.

It is Foodie Friday
hosted by Michael Lee West. So cruise on over to her blog and enjoy other participants in Foodie Friday. You won't be sorry since there are a lot of fabulous recipes posted for this Foodie Friday.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Front Entry vignette

Today is the first Tabletop Tuesday by our new host Marty at A Stroll Through Life. Marty it is wonderful that you have decided to take over for this fun party.

Today I am sharing my Front Entry vignette. This is a mahogany antique table by my front door that changes with the season or holiday. Last year we had a new custom door made. My old door had been given to me as an anniversary gift from my husband many years ago and the wood on the old door was beyond repair. We were able to take the etched beveled glass oval out and the new door was made to fit this oval along with the sidelights. The whole piece is solid mahogany and I think it looks very well with this antique table and antique mirror at the entry. Click on to any photo to enlarge and in this first photo in the far left hand corner is an umbrella stand that was painted by my grandmother more than 35 years ago.



I most always place some cherished things on this table because I pass it everytime I go upstairs.



A very dear friend who paints on china gave this to me many years ago. She knows that being the Southerner that I am that I would love this plate painted with a magnolia. This is a "Special" treasure to me.



I also have a fondness for orchids and I have a large collection of orchids. When they are blooming I bring them inside and usually have two or three blooming all the time. This one with it's delicate soft pink blooms seems to be enjoying it's spot with the morning sun that comes through the sidelights.



This is a metal piece and I have a growing fondness for gardening metal pieces. I am not sure why but I do have a tendency to gravitate to them.



In the evening I light this fragrant candle for ambience when guests arrive. The toile red and white wallpaper has been there for a while and I LOVE it. When we were doing some construction in the downstairs last year, we were putting in deeper base and crown moulding, one of the things I was adamant about was to preserve this toile wallpaper.



Please take the time to see other participants of Tabletop Tuesday by clicking here. Thank you for visiting my blog.

Lentil and Chickpea Soup

It's Foodie Friday once again and I am joining in the fun on this one year Anniversary of Foodie Friday hosted by Michael Lee West. Happy Anniversary Michael.

In so many parts of the country winter is still around so with that in mind I thought I would share a comforting soup recipe that I prepared recently for the first time. My husband and I really enjoyed this hearty and nutritious soup.




The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Frank Stitts, Bottega Favorita. Frank Stitt owns two restaurants in Birmingham, Al and this book is the favorite recipes of the restaurant by the same name, Bottega.




It's an easy recipe to put together and so very nutritious with lots of fresh vegetables along with the Lentils and Chickpeas.







Pared with some crusty bread and an Italian wine, it was a hearty dinner on a cold evening.




Topped with a drizzle of a good olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese put it over the top.







Lentil anc Chickpea Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored,and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 cups de Puy lentils or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained (not rinsed)
2 cups drained canned diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
Leftover braised meat such as lamb or veal (optional)
Chopped mint, flat-leaf parsley, or chives or extra virgin Olive Oil for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown. 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions and saute' until they are tender but have not begun to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and coriander and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the diced fennel, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine the lentils in a medium saucepan with water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a rolling boil. Drain lentils and set aside. (The cooking liquid can be reserved for another recipe or discarded; we don't use it here because it would muddy the soup. The lentils can be cooked in advance.)

Add the lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, and stock or water to the vegetables. Add the meat, if using, and bring to a simmer. Simmer partially covered, over low heat for 45 minutes to 50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Check the level of the liquid from time to time, replenishing it as necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with the fresh herbs or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and maybe a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.


Please join other participants of Foodie Friday by clicking here.

A Surprise Metamorphosis

I haven't joined in on Susan's Met Monday in a very long time. Mostly because there aren't too many changes that take place when one has lived in a home for 29 years. Welllll, maybe there has BUT this one was definitely worth blogging about.

I was in a interior design shop early last week,mainly to get some fresh ideas. However, I came upon a pair of chairs that I absolutely fell in love with. My husband had been talking for quite some time that he wanted two new chairs in his at "home office" and I told him about these gorgeous red leather chairs that I had seen earlier in the week. Now keep in mind that I use red throughout my house in my decorating scheme frequently and I had only casually mentioned them to him so I thought. He decided to go take a look at them.

This was the before.



The plaid chairs looked great with the drapes, so I thought.





I have had these chairs for many years and have had them recovered many times but apparently my husband didn't care for them in his at "home office". BUT he loved this gorgeous pair of chairs that I had casually mentioned to him.





The leather is so soft and they are very comfortable to sit in.




He even bought a beautiful side table to go between the two of them and guess what, it fits right in with my decorating scheme.



They even fit right in with the color scheme of the adjoining foyer which has a red and cream toile wall covering. The best part is that it makes a beautiful bold statement as one enters our home since it is the first thing you see when you walk through the front door.



To say that I was in shock over the "happenings" of this past Saturday and what my husband surprised me with even though it is HIS at "home office" is an under statement. It still makes a fabulous bold statement as you enter our home and I couldn't have been more pleased.



My next project will be to tweak all the side tables but that is a good thing. The down side to this is that he seems to think that he can see clients more often in our home now that he has made his at "home office" more to his liking. I'm not sure how I feel about that????? BTW, that is Miss Scarlet, my Cavelier King Charles Spaniel, on the floor appearing to be napping. She is waiting for me to leave because she likes those leather chairs too????

This sudden change in our home did make for a great Met Monday post so I thought. Please join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for other wonderful Met Monday posts.

YaYa Dinner Club

Last Thursday I hosted my first YaYa Dinner Club. I had read about a group of women in Birmingham, AL who have been getting together since college and have now had their club going for twenty years. Welllllll, I decided that there was no time like the present and we aren't getting any younger. So I checked with ten of my closest and dearest friends and they loved the idea.

I chose to be the first hostess and decided upon an Italian themed dinner and table setting. To seat that many people I chose to have it in my dining room. This may seem a more formal spot to have a most informal dinner but it worked for me.



I used my Vietri Contrada dinner plates, Vietri Foglia salad plates, the wine glasses are a recent purchase with pinecones etched on them (I don't even know who makes them???) and next to the wine is just a plain clear glass Lenox pattern. I used my hotel silver and to the left of the dinner plates are small square plates made by Cassafina that I used for dipping oil with some fresh herbs from the garden.



Since the wine glass had the etched pinecones, I also used my brass acorn napkin rings. The tablecloth and napkins are Vintage Jacquard from William Sonoma in a natural color.



When having a dinner party I always use fresh flowers and I do my own arrangements. Doing my arrangements is a stress relief for me.



I was unable to find any kind of sunflowers at this time of year so I chose to use the bright colors of Italy. My candle holders were a purchase from one of my favorite shopping spots, Boxwoods in Atlanta. I thought they had a vintage look to them and I love filling them with Green Split Peas for a little added color.





On the sideboard is the dessert that I had made, Giadia's Chocolate Amaretti Cake. This was an amazing dessert, easy to put together and it was delicious with a touch of orange zest. Chocolate and orange is a wonderful combination. I didn't get a close up of it but I used a large garden cloche to cover the cake stand and it made for a pretty presentation.



One of my most loved possessions is my Swarosvski Crystal Chandelier and it's on a dimmer. With red walls the crystals bounce off the red and makes for a beautiful space. In the corner of the dining room is a handpainted Vietri piece sitting on a mahogany fern stand.



A good time was had by all but the one thing that was most remembered was the dessert. I should mention that I did some freshly whipped cream laced with a little Amaretto. A little dollop of that on each slice and it put this dessert over the top.

Chocolate Amaretti Cake
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup baby amaretti cookies (about 2 ounces)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
4 large eggs
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for sifting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan the nonstick spray. Refrigerate. Microwave the chocolate until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds, for about 1 minute.

Combine the almonds and cookies in processor. Pulse until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Transfer the nut mixture to a medium bowl. Add the butter and sugar to the processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add the grated orange peel and pulse briefly, until incorporated. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Blend until the eggs are incorporated. Clean the sides of the mixing bowl and blend again. Add the nut mixture and melted chocolate. Pulse until blended. Clean the sides of the bowl. Blend again.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the center puffs and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.

Transfer the cake to a platter. Sift the cocoa powder over and serve.

I am joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

One of my favorite places to shop

It is once again time for Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. I haven't joined in her party in a long time but thought I would today.

About three weeks before Christmas my husband and I made a trip to Atlanta. I enjoyed the trip and timing was perfect to do a little Christmas shopping in the big city while he was there on business. One of my most favorite places to shop is Boxwoods in Atlanta. The owners of this fabulous shop have been written up in several magazines, Veranda and Southern Accent or I should say their homes have. I never miss an opportunity to shop at Boxwoods while in Atlanta.

It is a combination of antique shop, gift shop, garden shop and flower shop. It is an amazing little shop and they do a great business.



This is to the left of the picture above and the main entrance. I think the landscaping is beautiful and they also do landscaping as part of their business. Their landscape architect has been written up in many magazines as well and often on the premises. He is a wealth of information.



This is a photo I took inside the building going into the greenhouse. As an avid orchid grower I LOVE this room. Not one of my better photos but you get the picture.



Another shot of the side of the building. Apparently this area used to be a neighborhood and like other areas it was changed into a place of business. It has a charm and character all it's own in this beautiful old home and neighborhood. I LOVE this place to shop.



If you are ever in Atlanta take the time to visit Boxwoods. You won't be disappointed. I think the last time I was there I brought home 12 stems of wine glasses that had some gorgeous etchings on them.

Go by and visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for other participants of Outdoor Wednesday by clicking here.

Thank you for visiting my blog and have a wonderful Wednesday.